A Birthday To Remember
by anxiousgeek
Summary: It's been a while since Pepper had a birthday party. Pepper/Coulson 1843 words. Bonus Natasha and Clint cameo.


Pepper couldn't remember the last time she'd had a birthday party. Definitely before she started working for Tony, sometime after she'd left college. She remembered beer and cocktails and the lingering advice from a friend to not mix her drinks but not much else. She'd woken up hung over and alone with birthday cake smushed into her carpet but she couldn't remember if that had been considered a good thing or not. She doubted it, thinking back. Either way it had definitely been a lot tamer than any of Tony's birthday parties.

This birthday party was definitely his work. Champagne and a DJ, a three tier birthday cake in blue icing, a hundred guests packed into his mansion – each one she knew personally. He'd remembered to invite her cousin Walter from Vermont, and her great aunt Veronica who admittedly only stayed for an hour because she was 84 and using a zimmer frame. He'd invited people she hadn't seen since college, her former best friend from high school and what felt like everyone she'd ever worked with since she'd joined Stark Industries.

And_, and_ he'd invited Phil Coulson.

He'd come with Natasha Romanov but on her arm had been a young blond man who the red head seemed very friendly with. Both of them had joked with the man, and when Pepper walked up to them, Natasha had let go of him to hug her awkwardly and wish her a happy birthday. It had been a little surreal for them both she suspected by the look on Phil and the blonde's face – a man she introduced as Clint Barton. He simply shook her hand quickly and let Natasha drag him off to the bar, muttering something about that being _'what normal people did'_, leaving Pepper alone with Phil.

He smiled at her, leaning forward a little to kiss her gently on the cheek and she blushed a little, remembering how much she had liked the quiet agent – all of it in a rush at once – making a gasp a little.

"Happy birthday Ms Potts," he said, "I left you a present with the others."

"Thank you Agent Coulson, you really didn't have to."

"It's my pleasure. And it's Phil."

"Phil," she said, smiling at him. "I'm – can I get you a drink?"

"Beer?" he asked.

"Come on," she took him to the bar, noting Natasha and their friend Clint had moved, now talking to Tony. "I'm so glad you came."

"I was honoured to have been invited."

She got him a beer, and another glass of champagne for herself, trying to fend off the other guests to concentrate her attention on Phil, a man she hadn't seen in over a year but hadn't stopped thinking about. She was stuck for something to say though, because it was too loud, too public, and because she hadn't expected to see him.

Tony interrupted them anyway, saying a brief hello to Phil, before dragging Pepper away to deal with her now drunk cousin and say goodbye to her pregnant friend Melissa. She gave him an apologetic smile and he waved her off.

x

She had no idea what time it was, past midnight and then some. Half the guests had gone home, a few had passed out and put to bed by security. Including her cousin Walter, and Rhodey. Tony was still going strong, he'd gotten into some sort of contest with Happy and another friend, that didn't involve alcohol but had something to do with soda. She didn't care, it was just nice to see him enjoying himself after everything he'd been through.

Everything they had been through.

She hadn't seen much of Phil through the night, he'd mostly stuck with Natasha and their friend Clint who she assumed was a Shield agent too. He certainly had that way about him, she'd seen it in both Phil and Natasha – the way they checked every corner, scrutinised every person. That serious sad look in their eyes that even Natasha couldn't hide when she was a plant was now an obvious indicator to Pepper.

She wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

"Ms. Potts."

She turned and smiled at Phil, leaning against the balcony, watching his eyes dart around quickly and wash over her with a slower look that she hoped wasn't entirely professional.

"I wish you'd call me Pepper."

"Pepper," he said, and she decided she really liked the way he said her name. "Having a good time?"

"It's been a long time since I've been to a party that was so uneventful. It's wonderful."

"I think Stark had been ordering everyone to behave. I'm not sure they're actually listening to him."

"Well, it's a nice try but it's hard to take advice on behaving from Tony Stark."

"True."

She noted the way he called Tony '_Stark_' now, instead of Mr Stark, or Tony, and wondered what that meant. More or less respect? Less she assumed. Even as Iron Man Tony pissed everyone off.

Pepper included.

"I am having fun though. I haven't seen a lot of these people for a while. I haven't seen you for a while."

He nodded.

"I was in New Mexico for a while, then DC."

"Doesn't that get frustrating?" she asked. "Moving around so much."

He moved to lean against the balcony next to her, all strong warmth and a tension she couldn't put her finger on.

"It can be. Especially when trying to form friendships or relationships with people."

"That I do understand," she said, with a chuckle. "It's hard to explain to people that you need to leave mid-date, or mid-party, or mid-funeral because of your boss."

"He didn't?" Phil asked.

"Oh, he did," she said, "it was a long time ago now."

"Is it easier now you're CEO?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know, I haven't -" she hesitated. "-met anyone."

He nodded, with a small smile, and she shifted closer to him.

"Can I get you another drink?" he asked.

She shook her head. She'd had enough and she wanted to go home, or at least to her quiet bedroom here in Tony's house but she couldn't quite figure out if she was host of her own party or if Tony was.

She suspected Tony was, and she glanced over the water below them briefly, dark and still, smiling.

"Come take a walk with me," she said, "on the beach."

Pepper was already kicking off her heels as she said it, Phil looking down at his own plain black shows. Without four inch heels they were the same height and she smiled at him, looking into his eyes. She held out her hand he took off his own shoes and socks before taking her hand. She led him through the house and out to the back, down a path carefully cut into the cliff and down to the beach. The light from the house barely reached half way down the path,the moon giving them enough light to continue. Pepper knew this path though, didn't need light, she knew every step of land Tony owned. Phil didn't seem to be having any trouble traversing the rough steps either and when she reached the sand she turned around to smile at him in the low light. The wind whipped her hair up and around her face and she was surprised when Phil reached up to tuck the loose strands behind an ear.

She blushed, suddenly not as confident as she had felt on the balcony – four inches taller than him and full of champagne.

She took his hand again, threading her fingers through his and urging him to walk with her along the sand, the water hitting the shore a few feet away.

"I'm really glad you came," she said, at a loss for anything better to say. "I was upset when I heard you'd been to see Tony and not stopped in to see me."

She said it with a laugh, hoping to lighten the words but Phil simply nodded.

"I know. But sometimes there's too much to do to even stop in on friends," he said sadly.

She stopped on the beach.

"Sorry, I know, I didn't mean -" she trailed off, they'd just had this conversation.

"Let me make it up to you," he said.

"Okay?"

He smiled at her, tugging her gently closer to him until she was facing him and didn't dare move until he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips – warm and wanting. She sighed, shifting in the sand until she was pressed against him and wrapped her arms around him. He settled his own hands on her hips, thumbs rubbing over the soft material of her green dress, as she swiped his tongue over her lips. She moaned, opening her mouth willing him to deepened the kiss.

He did with a moan, he tasted of beer and vodka and while not entirely pleasant, the way he pressed his tongue deep into her mouth meant she wasn't really able to give it much thought.

Give anything much thought.

"Phil," she breathed.

"Happy Birthday Pepper," he said, voice a little rougher now and she felt a wave of heat reach down to her core. "I wanted you to know how I feel about you," he added and she chuckled. "I can't stop thinking about you. Haven't been able to since I met you."

"I know, I feel the same" she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, before taking his hand again. "I want to walk a little more."

"Whatever you want."

She liked that, liked that someone cared about what she wanted. A lot of people had forgotten that over the years. Not Phil, he was looking at her like he would give her the world before taking a piece for himself and she really wanted to test that theory.

In a bed.

They walked for a little while longer, talking about all the places they'd been, all the beaches they'd walked on before. Soon the cloud cover made it too dark to see – the light from the house was completely blocked by the cliff and Pepper stopped to kiss him again.

"We should go back," she said. "your friends -"

"Will be fine. I didn't come here to spend time with them Pepper." She beamed at him in the darkness. "We should still go back, so I can see your face when I kiss you," he added, cupping her cheek and kissing her so softly she whimpered.

The music was still playing at the house, though there were less people now and most just milling about drunkenly. Pepper took Phil's hand again and pulled him through the house ignoring their shoes. Far from the last of the party she took him to the bedroom she still had at Tony's house closing the door behind them.

x

She woke up with a clear head and wrapped around Phil Coulson's warm body.

She was never going to forget this party.


End file.
